Canadians at the International Mortgage Broker Federation Summit in Dublin.

This year’s International Mortgage Broker Federation (IMBF) Summit, hosted May 20 & 21 in Dublin, brought together brokers, regulators, and mortgage leaders from around the world. With delegates in attendance from Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the summit was a powerful platform to explore shared challenges and forward-thinking solutions for the mortgage industry.

The event began with remarks from IMBF Chair Peter White and Mark Nugent, President of Brokers Ireland. The welcome address set the tone for two days of meaningful discussion, international collaboration, and knowledge sharing, with both speakers emphasizing the importance of unity in addressing global challenges and reaffirming the value mortgage brokers bring to homebuyers in every market.

The summit opened with a keynote address from ‘The Positive Economist’ Susan Hayes Culleton. Susan offered a compelling global market overview, encouraging attendees to look beyond interest rates and inflation and, instead, examine macroeconomic forces, such as intergenerational wealth transfer, shifting consumer priorities, and global investment flows. Her insights helped contextualize the global challenges facing the mortgage industry and provided a grounding perspective for the discussions that followed.

Representing Canada, Carla Giles (CMBA National Executive Director, CEO of CMBA-BC, and IMBF Board of Governors member) played a pivotal role in shaping discussions. Her presentation addressed Canada’s housing supply crisis, the country’s ambitious goal to build 3.5 million homes by 2030, and the fragmented regulatory environment that often complicates innovation. Carla highlighted the importance of national collaboration, smart regulation, and technological adaptation to ensure brokers continue to deliver value to their clients.

Global perspectives enriched the dialogue. New Zealand’s Leigh Hodgetts noted that younger clients often rely on social media as a source of financial advice. In Australia, Peter White, Managing Director of the Finance Brokers Association of Australasia (FBAA), emphasized the rise of SME lending through the broker channel. In the U.K., Stacy Penn of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) discussed the impact of regulatory change, while Kimber White, President Elect of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) outlined recent shifts in U.S. broker licensing and consumer protection priorities.

Throughout the summit, a clear message emerged: While technology is transforming mortgage processes, brokers remain critical to ensuring strong client outcomes. The human connection, trusted advice, and deep industry knowledge that brokers provide are irreplaceable.

Tony Moroney, Principal at The Digital Explorer, brought a forward-looking lens to the summit. He challenged brokers to see AI and automation not as threats, but as tools that can enhance their services. Tony’s presentation emphasized that, while algorithms can handle data and transactions, it’s the human broker who delivers empathy, trust, and nuanced advice.

Simon Bednar, CEO of Finsure in Australia, delivered a compelling presentation on aggregation models, discussing how the structure and dynamics of aggregators are evolving globally, influencing broker-lender relationships and the future of distribution. Simon’s remarks invited reflection on how brokers can secure greater autonomy and influence in these partnerships.

George Obied of Judo Bank, also from Australia, spotlighted the expanding role of brokers in the SME sector. As traditional banks scale back their small business lending, brokers are stepping in to fill the gap. George shared how relationship-driven lending, supported by brokers, is creating new opportunities in this under-served market.

B.C.’s own Dustan Woodhouse reminded brokers not to reduce their role to mere “order takers.” Instead, he called on them to offer clarity, insight, and steady guidance — especially during times of uncertainty.

Finally, Paul Alexander of Royal London Ireland shared a case study in operational transformation. By merging siloed teams, cross-training staff, and focusing on consistency, his organization improved turnaround times, increased broker satisfaction, and won industry awards for service excellence.

A major highlight of the summit was Day 2’s interactive World Café format. Attendees rotated through five roundtable sessions designed to gather insights and shape global recommendations.

The five topics were:

• Technology: Exploring the impact of AI, ChatGPT, and automation on the broker-client relationship.
• Innovation: Focusing on the opportunities and challenges of open banking and embedded finance.
• Advice: Redefining the broker’s value in an AI-driven world.
• Education: Establishing global standards for skills and competencies in mortgage brokering.
• Inclusion: Identifying strategies to improve gender diversity and increase participation of women in the industry.

Carla facilitated the innovation roundtable on open banking and embedded finance. In this session, brokers from across jurisdictions explored how invisible, digital-first platforms are changing the way consumers access mortgage financing — and, importantly, how brokers can stay relevant and visible. The discussion focused on how these professionals can gain efficiencies while strengthening their role in providing personalized guidance, and the ways in which brokers must be proactive in redefining their role in this new landscape.

Each roundtable was led by a member of the Board of Governors and designed to promote open dialogue, cross-jurisdictional learning, and collaborative problem-solving. Insights from these sessions will inform a white paper to be published by the IMBF Board of Governors later this year.

Across both days, the summit reinforced a central idea: Brokers are more essential than ever. As housing markets shift, technologies advance, and consumer expectations evolve, the profession must adapt while staying anchored in its core strengths — trust, expertise, and advocacy.